The 2020 U.S. election is a week away and a record-shattering turnout is expected to vote. With more than 58 million Americans already submitted their ballots, it is clear to see that people are determined to express themselves and exercise their right to vote.
Another record high in the 2020 U.S. election is the number of Naturalized Citizens eligible to vote. In this election, Naturalized Citizens make up 1 in 10 U.S. eligible voters. According to Pew Research Center, since the year 2000, the size of the immigrant electorate nearly doubled to 23.2 million, that’s an increase of 193%.
So why has there been such strong growth in the foreign-born eligible voter population in the U.S.?
First, the number of immigrants living in the U.S. has increased steadily since the 1960s when the Immigration and Nationality Act became law. In 1965, in the U.S., 9.6 million immigrants made up just 5% of the population. Fast-forward to 2020 and the 45 million immigrants living and working in the U.S. now accounts for about 13.9% of the population.
Second, newly-naturalized citizens are one of the fastest-growing voting groups in the United States. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security states that between 2009 and 2019, around 7.2 million immigrants naturalized and became U.S. citizens.
What is Naturalization?
Naturalization is the process by which U.S. citizenship is granted to a lawful permanent resident after meeting the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
Becoming a U.S. citizen has many benefits, with one of the most notable being that as a U.S. citizen, you will be able to exercise your right to vote and have your voice be counted– something so many people around the world don’t have the opportunity to do.
The Pathway to Naturalization
As part of the Conexus MedStaff Career Pathways program, we offer our nurses support to become an American citizen. Career Pathways not only focuses on the continued growth of a nursing career in the U.S., it also allows the option and support to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. If they choose to pursue citizenship, our Immigration Team processes Naturalization applications for our nurses and their family members to become U.S. citizens -- an average expense of anywhere from $3,000 - $5,000 per person. To learn more about our Career Pathways program, and your pathway to naturalization, get in touch with our Recruitment team here.
Ready to get your U.S. journey started? Apply here.